Difference between revisions of "Missouri State Senate"

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As of March 2015, Missouri is one of 19 states that is under divided government and is therefore not one of the state government trifectas.

Sessions

Article III of the Missouri Constitution establishes when the Missouri General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part is to meet. Section 20 of Article III states that the General Assembly shall convene its regular session on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January of each year. Section 20 requires the General Assembly to adjourn its regular session by May 30th.

Section 20 of Article III also allows for a special session of the General Assembly to be convened by a joint proclamation of three-fourths of the members of both houses.

2012

Major issues

The budget was the main focus of the session, as the state faced a $500 million spending gap in January. The agenda at the start of the session also included economic development, Workers Compensation reforms, and overhauling public school funding.[5] Those items joined health care exchanges, birth control, charter schools, and sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine crimes as points of contention and accomplishment over the course of the session.[6]

2011

In 2011, the Senate was in regular session from January 5 through May 30. [7]GovernorJay Nixon called for a special legislative session for September 6, however, the session was called off when Republicans hesitated on a push to overhaul state tax credits and authorize several new incentive programs, including one for a China freight hub in St. Louis. Assembly members were sent home so that they might read the revised 219-page measure over the weekend. According to Senate President Pro Tem Robert Mayer, the "important" bill "needs the attention of every member of this body."[8]

2010

Elections for the office of Missouri State Senate were held in Missouri on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 30, 2010 and the primary election day was on August 3, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $12,861,549 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [13]

2000

Elections for the office of Missouri State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 8, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. A total of 17 seats were up for election.

During the 2000 election, the total contributions to Senate candidates was $4,329,564. The top 10 contributors were:[18]

2000 Donors, Missouri State Senate

Donor

Amount

Missouri Democratic Party

$297,815

Missouri Republican Party

$269,400

Ichord, Clara R.

$238,000

Howard, Jerry T.

$64,865

Missouri Bankers Association

$42,425

Anheuser-Busch

$36,586

Gibbons For Congress

$33,203

8th Congressional District Republican Committee

$29,500

Missouri Association Of Trial Attorneys

$29,050

Russell, John T.

$25,000

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the Missouri State Senate, a candidate must be:[19]

At least 30 years of age

Qualified Missouri voter for three years before election

Resident of the district which he is chosen to represent for 1 year before election

Is not delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, real property taxes on the place of residence as stated in the declaration of candidacy

is not a past or present corporate officer of any fee office that owes any taxes to the state.

Has not been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony or misdemeanor under the federal laws of the United States of America.

Has not been convicted of or found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under the laws of Missouri.

In addition to any other penalties provided by law, no person may file for any office in a subsequent election until he or the treasurer of his existing candidate committee has filed all required campaign disclosure reports for all prior elections.

Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs in the senate, the Governor must call for a special election without delay. There is no time limit specified under law.[20] The mandate for a special election is sent to the election authority in the county that first established the legislative district.[21]

Redistricting

Legislative redistricting in Missouri is handled by two bipartisan commissions, one for each chamber, with 10 members in the Senate commission and 18 members in the House commission. The Governor selects these members from lists of nominees submitted by the state committees of the Democratic and Republican parties. Two House commission members must come from each congressional district. This differs from the congressional redistricting method, which involves the Assembly simply passing new maps as routine legislation. If a commission cannot complete the process in six months following appointment, a panel of six appellate judges takes over the process for that particular commission; it cannot interfere with one that has already finished.

2010 census

Missouri received its local census data on February 24, 2011. The state's population increased by seven percent, with most growth coming in the southern half of the state. The five most populous cities showed mixed outcomes: Kansas City grew by 4.1 percent since the 2000 Census. St. Louis decreased by 8.3 percent, Springfield grew by 5.2 percent, Independence grew by 3.1 percent, and Columbia grew by 28.4 percent.[22]

Since 1970, Missouri has had the courts involved in finishing redistricting; despite the commissions' intent, 2011 did not end that streak. Both commissions came to an impasse in mid-August 2011, and the special court panel took over. On November 30, the panel finalized a new plan.

While the House plan -- which put 34 Republicans and 23 Democrats into incumbent races -- stood, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected the Senate plan. On January 31, 2012, Governor Jay Nixon appointed a new commission for the sake of redrawing the Senate districts. The commission approved a new plan on February 23; the plan -- which weakened Republican districts around St. Louis -- was met with hostility, then a lawsuit. After hearing testimony and tweaking the map, the commission approved the map again on March 12, and the lawsuit was dropped.

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Missouri State Senate for the first 9 years while the Republicans were the majority for the last 13 years.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

SQLI and Partisanship

Missouri was one of eight states to demonstrate a dramatic partisan shift in the 22 years studied. A dramatic shift was defined by a movement of 40 percent or more toward one party over the course of the study period.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Missouri state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Missouri had Democratic trifectas from 1993-2000 and Republican trifectas from 2005-2008. Of the 22 years studied, Missouri never finished in the top-10 or bottom-10. It received its highest ranking of 13th overall in 2000, the most recent year of a Democratic trifecta. Its lowest ranking of 23rd overall occurred in 1993 and 2008, both years of which had government trifectas. In 1993 it was a Democratic trifecta, and in 2008 it was a Republican trifecta.

SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 18.75

SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 20.00

SQLI average with divided government: 18.33

Chart displaying the partisanship of Missouri government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).